NBA Wrap: Andrew Bogut gets bragging rights over fellow Aussies Joe Ingles and Dante Exum as his Warriors beat Jazz
ANDREW Bogut’s Golden State Warriors scored a 101-88 win over Utah to give him bragging rights over Jazz Aussies Joe Ingles and Dante Exum.
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ANDREW Bogut’s Golden State Warriors scored a 101-88 win over Utah to give him bragging rights over Jazz Aussies Joe Ingles and Dante Exum.
Bogut saw 20 minutes of action in which he shot six from eight for 12 points, made four rebounds and provided two assists.
The Jazz’s Dante Exum was on the court for 22 minutes and scored one from five for two points. He made four rebounds and provided five assists.
His fellow Australian teammate Joe Ingles saw 24 minutes of court time and scored one from five plus a free throw for three points. He made four rebounds and provided five assists.
San Antonio’s Aron Baynes backed up a solid week with another strong performance, this time against Minnesota. Playing away from home Baynes thrived with the extra gametime (20.46), scoring 12 points, having nine rebounds and one block. The Spurs will be hoping injured Aussie Patty Mills is ready to go soon, after backup point guard Cory Joseph limped off in the second quarter with an ankle injury.
WIZARDS 91, CAVALIERS 78
NOT even LeBron James could help the Cleveland Cavaliers from slumping to their third-straight loss.
John Wall took over in the third quarter Friday night and finished 28 points, seven assists and six rebounds, and the hustling Washington Wizards clamped down for a 91-78 win over the mostly flat-footed Cavaliers.
Resuming a rivalry that peaked last decade when the Wizards and James’ Cavaliers met three consecutive years in the playoffs — it was so intense that both Jay-Z and Soulja Boy got involved — the Wizards grabbed a majority of the 50-50 rebounds and capitalised on the defensive woes that have hurt Cleveland.
James scored 22 points on 8-for-21 shooting, but Cleveland committed 19 turnovers, shot 36 per cent and scored a season-low in points. James was never below .500 more than 10 games into a season during his four seasons with the Miami Heat, but he and the Cavaliers are now 5-6.
SPURS 121, TIMBERWOLVES 92
Tony Parker scored 28 points in 25 minutes and the San Antonio Spurs cruised past the shorthanded Minnesota Timberwolves 121-92 on Friday night.
Parker made 12 of 18 shots, including all three of his 3-pointers, and Danny Green scored 18 points for the Spurs, who got an easy night with a game against the Brooklyn Nets at home on Saturday.
Anthony Bennett scored a career-high 20 points for the Timberwolves, who had just 10 healthy players after announcing earlier in the day that Kevin Martin will be out indefinitely with a fractured right wrist. The Wolves were also missing starters Ricky Rubio, Nikola Pekovic and Thaddeus Young and backup big man Ronny Turiaf.
The Spurs shot 54.8 per cent, including 61.9 per cent (13 of 21) from 3-pointers, and out-rebounded the smaller Wolves 53-46.
Tim Duncan had nine points and 10 rebounds in 23 minutes and Austin Daye had 13 points and 11 boards for the Spurs. Andrew Wiggins scored 14 points and Williams was held scoreless in the second half for Minnesota.
GRIZZLIES 117, CELTICS 100
Marc Gasol matched his career high with 32 points, Zach Randolph added 16 points and 16 rebounds, and the Memphis Grizzlies beat the Boston Celtics 117-100 on Friday night.
Jon Leuer had a season-high 19 points, and Mike Conley finished with 15 points and eight assists for Memphis, which shot 53 per cent from the field. Gasol led the way, going 13 for 22.
Kelly Olynyk led Boston with 18 points. Jared Sullinger had 13 points, Jeff Green added 12, while Avery Bradley and Marcus Thornton finished with 11 points each. Evan Turner added 10.
Memphis never trailed in the game and led by 21 in the fourth quarter, the advantage fuelled by a 9-0 run.
SUNS 122, 76ERS 96
Isaiah Thomas scored 23 points and Markieff Morris had 18 to lead the Phoenix Suns past the winless Philadelphia 76ers 122-96 on Friday night.
The Sixers have lost their first 12 games and are just six losses shy of matching the 2009-10 New Jersey Nets for worst start in NBA history.
The Sixers actually led 27-26 at the end of the first quarter until the Suns rolled toward the rout.
The Suns shot 69 per cent in the first half and easily shook off the early challenge to win their third straight game. Michael Carter-Williams led the Sixers with 18 points.
Thomas made all five shots from the floor, all five free throws and was 2 of 2 from 3-point range for a flawless 17 points.
Six other Suns scored in double figures. The Suns led by as many as 34 points and made 21 of 23 free throws. With the Sixers down 31 in the third, what was left of another thin crowd booed the Sixers off the court headed into a time-out.
The Suns rested their starters in the fourth. The Sixers were left hoping Saturday’s game at New York will be the one that ends the winless skid.
NETS 94, THUNDER 92
Jarrett Jack scored 23 points off the bench to help the Brooklyn Nets defeat the Oklahoma City Thunder 94-92 on Friday night and snap a five-game losing streak.
Reggie Jackson, who led the Thunder with 21 points, missed what would have been a game-winning 3-pointer at the buzzer. The Thunder lost their fifth straight and have the league’s second-longest losing streak.
Joe Johnson scored 17 points, Brook Lopez had 16 points and 10 rebounds and Mirza Teletovic added 13 points for the Nets.
Serge Ibaka had 16 points and 10 rebounds, Anthony Morrow had 11 points and Steven Adams added 10 for the Thunder.
The Thunder, besieged by injuries all season and at times limited to eight active players, finally got some depth. Andre Roberson started after playing limited minutes the previous game and missing the seven games before that with a left foot sprain. Thunder coach Scott Brooks used 10 players in the first half, and Oklahoma City led 53-49 at the break.
MAVERICKS 140, LAKERS 106
Dirk Nowitzki scored 23 points in yet another efficient shooting effort and the Dallas Mavericks used the NBA’s highest-scoring offense to roll to a 140-106 victory against the Los Angeles Lakers on Friday night.
The Mavericks won their sixth straight game overall and fourth in a row against the Lakers, who were swept by Dallas in the regular season for the first time in 2013-14.
Nowitzki, Monta Ellis and Chandler Parsons were a combined 23 of 33 from the field as the Mavericks had season highs in points, shooting percentage (62 per cent) and assists (37). Parsons had 21 points and Ellis scored 20.
Kobe Bryant missed his first eight shots and was 6 of 22 for 17 points. Jeremy Lin had 18 to lead the Lakers, who came in with their first two-game winning streak.
RAPTORS 124, BUCKS 83
Lou Williams scored a season-high 22 points, Jonas Valanciunas added 18 points and 12 rebounds, and the Toronto Raptors beat the Milwaukee Bucks 124-83 Friday night.
Kyle Lowry scored 20 points and Terrence Ross had 13 as the Raptors wrapped up a franchise-record seven-game homestand at 6-1 and became the first Eastern Conference team to reach 10 wins. The Bucks’ previous five defeats this season were by a combined 41 points.
Jabari Parker scored 15 points and Ersan Ilyasova had 14 for a Bucks team playing its third game in four nights, and coming off a triple-overtime win at Brooklyn on Wednesday.
Valanciunas had 12 points and five rebounds in the first, and Williams finished the quarter with a buzzer-beating 3 as Toronto led 37-27 after one.
Williams scored 11 more in the second quarter, including another buzzer-beating 3, as the Raptors led 71-45 at half-time. It was Toronto’s highest scoring half of the season, eclipsing the 65 points they scored in the second half against Utah on Nov. 15.
HAWKS 99, PISTONS 89
Jeff Teague scored a season-high 28 points and the Atlanta Hawks recovered after blowing a 19-point lead to beat the Detroit Pistons 99-89 on Friday night.
Paul Millsap had 15 points and 12 rebounds for Atlanta, which snapped a two-game skid.
Detroit rallied after trailing by 19 points at 70-51 in the third quarter.
Backup point guard D.J. Augustin, who had 14 points, led the comeback as Detroit pulled even with a 14-0 run that began late in the third quarter and continued into the final period. Augustin had back-to-back baskets as the Pistons pulled even at 74-74 with 8:31 remaining.
Horford answered with a layup as Atlanta reclaimed the lead for good and eventually pushed the advantage back to 10 points.
Josh Smith had 16 points and Andre Drummond added 13 points with 16 rebounds for the Pistons, who have lost four straight. They had two three-game losing streaks earlier in the season. Horford sank a buzzer-beating jumper before half-time to give Atlanta a 50-40 lead. The Hawks still led by 10, at 74-64, entering the final period.
MAGIC 105, HORNETS 100
Evan Fournier scored 21 points, Tobias Harris had 17 points and 16 rebounds as the Orlando Magic erased a 23-point second-half deficit to hand the Charlotte Hornets their fourth straight loss 105-100 on Friday night.
The Magic trailed by 15 entering the fourth quarter, but Willie Green sparked a comeback by scoring all nine of his points in the final period at a crucial juncture.
Nikola Vucevic had 14 points and 10 rebounds and Elfrid Payton had 16 points for Orlando (6-8) off the bench on 7 of 11 shooting.
Al Jefferson had 24 points and 11 rebounds, and Kemba Walker added 15 points and 12 rebounds for the struggling Hornets. Gary Neal added 17 points for Charlotte (4-9).
With the game tied 97-97, Elfrid Payton missed two free throws but the Hornets forgot to box out and Green grabbed an offensive rebound for an all-too-easy put back with 57 seconds left in the game to put Orlando ahead for good.
WARRIORS 101, JAZZ 88
Andre Iguodala scored 17 points, Harrison Barnes had 14 points and 11 rebounds and the Golden State Warriors used a blistering start to beat the Utah Jazz 101-88 for its fourth straight win.
After a four-day layoff, the Warriors showed no signs of rust. They led 28-13 at the end of the first quarter, 54-32 at the half and 85-57 entering the fourth.
Golden State (9-2) is off to its best start in 41 years.
Enes Kanter scored 18 points, and Gordon Hayward had 12 points and five rebounds for a young Jazz team that’s struggling against top competition. Utah (5-8) hasn’t beaten a team that currently has a winning record.
TRAIL BLAZERS 105, BULLS 87
Damian Lillard had 21 points and nine assists before sitting out the fourth quarter as the Portland Trail Blazers built a big lead and beat the Chicago Bulls 105-87.
LaMarcus Aldridge had 16 points and nine rebounds for the Blazers, who led by as many as 28 points for their sixth straight victory.
Rookie Nikola Mirotic had season highs with 24 points and 11 rebounds for the Bulls.
Chicago lost forward Taj Gibson in the third quarter when he sprained his left ankle. The Bulls were already limited without Derrick Rose, who missed his fourth straight game with a sore left hamstring. Pau Gasol missed his third game with a left calf strain.
NUGGETS 117, PELICANS 97
Kenneth Faried and Arron Afflalo scored 19 points each, Wilson Chandler had 18 and the Denver Nuggets beat the New Orleans Pelicans 117-97 on Friday night.
Danilo Gallinari had 17 points and JaVale McGee 14 for the Nuggets, who have won four of their last five after starting the season 1-6.
Anthony Davis led the Pelicans with 18 points and nine rebounds. It was the first time in eight games Davis has failed to eclipse 20 points.
Denver trailed 14-2 early but rallied to tie it at 18-all midway through the first. The Nuggets used an 11-0 run that spanned the first and second quarters to take a 37-26 lead.
Originally published as NBA Wrap: Andrew Bogut gets bragging rights over fellow Aussies Joe Ingles and Dante Exum as his Warriors beat Jazz
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